Month: November 2011

Not the best picture I know! But when your computer keeps crashing on you and finaly decides to work for 5 minutes, you jump at the chance to post !

I’m now 5 days away from my photo shoot-So the lifestyle of carb depletion and lots of water is upon me!

What does a day of carb depletion look like?

Today-

Breakfast

1 cup egg whites

1-4 cup oatmeal

Fibrous veggies

Snack 3oz chicken

lunch

4 cups spinach

4oz chicken

peppers

Snack

3oz Turkey

Dinner

Egg whites 3oz chicken 4cups spinach

I know! Very exciting food choices right???

This meal plan was not the easiest to get through today. Just because you decide you have a goal doesn’t mean life stops and gives you a break. There is still classes to teach (4 today) a little man who wants you to play with him and your friends (Husband) who don’t want you acting like a crazy carb depleted chick! I made it through though, and every success makes you feel stronger.

It’s interesting how so much of our life revolves around food…

Normally when my husband and I go out, it’s for dinner or a glass of wine. Not tonight! We headed to H2O for some hot tubbing and just some fun time alone (without food) and it was so fun! I’m interested to see how many creative things I can come up with this week…..Any suggestions?

On Sunday, Oranj Fitness, Vo2max and Myself launched the 90 day challenge. Our goal with this challenge is not only to inspire people to reach their goals but to support them along the way. Whether your goal is to lose weight, improve performance or increase muscle mass this challenge is for you. I 100% believe that as a trainer my life should reflect what I preach to others….So

Today was the start of my 90 day fitness challenge! I’m three weeks away from my fitness shoot with Darren Hull, so it’s crunch time! No more wine nights with the ladies, or steeling French fries off Troy’s plate…It’s business time! Over the next three weeks I’m going to log my diet, workouts,measurement and body fat%. Over the next 21 days (wow that seems like a long time without wine) my diet will be a bit cleaner then my normal routine and then continue on into my clean eating , performance diet. My personal goal with this challenge is to get into photo ready shape and increase my personal performance for my Tri-Fitness competition in May. I do want to add that I have been Clean eating and taking the Visalus protein for 5 months now. My total weight lost (It’s been 9 months since my little guy) Is 30 pounds (I will have inches tomorrow).

There is nothing that brings me more joy in the world then seeing the excitement McCarthy gets every day from discovering new things . Along with the joy this brings, this little man also keeps his mom on her toes! He is all boy…which means there is no point in buying toys because the cords from the tv, the light sockets and my iphone is so much more interesting then any stupid toy. At 9months McCarthy is trying to walk..So I run all day. This past month, I found that my energy levels where just dropping due to the constant movement of my day and lack of proper fuel for these high endurance workouts (I know there are some moms and dads relating here). So whether your workout is from your kid or your day is filled with high endurance training in the gym. This energy bar is going to help you make it through the day with a clear head and energy to spare.

If starting with dry beans, soak a half pound over night, then simmer for about one hour or until soft. If starting with canned, rinse well to remove saltiness. Chop the beans roughly either by hand or in a food processor. They don’t need to be processed into a puree, just tiny pieces.

Grind the flax seed and mix it with the water, set aside to thicken.

Combine the dry ingredients together first and mix well. Add the wet ingredients and mix until uniformly incorporated. Press into a greased 9×13 pan or casserole dish. Bake for a total of 20-25 minutes, rotating the pan half way through. (Mine were finished at about 23 minutes). Cool completely, then cut into 24 bars. I cut a line down the middle of the pan lengthwise then 12 cuts across. Leave unwrapped for harder bars; put in airtight container for softer bars. Toast cut bars in the toaster oven for a crispy outside. If keeping longer than one week, wrap and freeze.

While chatting with my mother in-law yesterday, we got on the subject of inspiring people and how we just love a woman that leads with a gentleness and a dynamic energy that demands respect without ever having to open her mouth. She had recently read this article on Arlene Dickinson and was eager to share the wisdom of this inspiring woman. I took so much from this article I couldn’t help but share this with you as well. I’m heading to Chapters tonight to pick up her new book Persuasion: A new approach to changing minds. I’ll make sure to post my review!

Some of the most important food eaten in our day is before and after a workout.

Our bodies need fuel for usable energy, as well as recovery focused food for beneficial rebuilding. Without these key ingredients, we’re missing the mark by a long shot. If your not going to eat properly for your workouts be prepared for loss of energy, poor performance and lack of focus.

So let’s get started and plan out your pre-workout snack. First focus on simple carbohydrates that include a small portion of protein, about an hour before you hit the gym. Due to the drop in blood sugar that happens from exercising, your pre-workout food needs to provide an insulin rise that will prevent your body from using muscle for energy. You never want to use muscle for energy, we use fat for energy.

Now let’s discuss post-workout snacks. When woman hear the word protein, a lot of times we think (Bulk) which is basically impossible without the assistants of supplements based on the testosterone levels that we where created with. By adding lean proteins to your diet you increase your metabolism through lean muscle and feed your hungry post workout muscle tissue.

If you worked out, you used muscles. When picking a recovery snack you want to think about quick digesting proteins and simple sugars. My favorite post workout recovery snack is a VI-SHAPE PROTEIN SHAKE Mixed with bananas and almond milk. This protein not only taste like your eating a cake it also is a quick absorbing protein (which means quicker recovery) add the bananas and you have your shot of sugar to get the blood stream back on track.

Tuesday is always such a crazy busy day for me and I always find myself trying to throw dinner together last minute. So lately my philosophy is ( 5 ingredient or less) got to keep it simple and quick . I love these Turkey Burgers, so simple and so delicious!

Zesty Turkey Burger-

1 pound ground turkey

2 tbsp dijon mustard

1 egg

Mix together till meat is coated in egg and mustard. Form into 4oz patties, grill for 10 minutes or till meat is fully cooked.

My passion and dedication to my work comes from a very personal place. I am determined to see woman freed from the lies and destructive lifestyles that are plaguing them. My goal is for women around the world to reach beyond what they thought they were capable of, live a healthy lifestyle and discover true happiness in their bodies.